Manager of Beverage Innovation
Different Technologies Pty Ltd., Austin, TX, United States
About Mood
Mood is a category-defining omni-channel hemp brand offering a full product suite across DTC online and retail partners. We are scaling fast and doing it profitably. We win through a premium product experience that brings best-in-class shopping to one of the most highly regulated industries. Our mission is simple: Enable access to premium hemp products of the highest quality, conveniently.
We are still early in our journey, and the right operators can make a lasting impact.
About the Role
Location: This role has a strong preference for candidates located in New York, Charlotte, Miami, Dallas, Austin, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. Remote within the United States will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Mood is seeking a Head of Beverage R&D to own and execute the end-to-end development of our beverage portfolio.
This is a hands‑on, individual contributor role for someone who can operate across strategy and execution. You will be responsible for taking products from idea -> formulation -> testing -> commercialization, while continuously improving existing products to be best-in‑class.
You will act as the internal owner of beverage innovation, working cross-functionally while personally driving the work forward. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves quickly, and takes pride in building great products from the ground up.
What You’ll Be Doing
End-to-End Product Development (Own It Fully)
Own the full beverage R&D lifecycle from concept through commercialization.
Constantly scan the market to identify opportunities for Mood to be a market leader in new beverage concepts, then translate those into technically feasible formulations.
Develop new beverage products including scientific formulation, benchtop prototyping, and iterative optimization based on sensory and analytical data.
Run hands‑on formulation experiments yourself or in partnership with formulation houses, testing, sampling, and refinement to achieve target taste, onset, stability, and consistency.
Lead scale-up from benchtop to production with co‑manufacturers.
Improve & Optimize Existing Products
Continuously improve current formulations to enhance taste, mouthfeel, onset time, bioavailability, and shelf stability.
Identify cost optimization opportunities without compromising product quality.
Prevent production issues and ensure rigorous adherence to best‑in‑class manufacturing standards
Consumer Insights & Competitive Landscape
Analyze consumer feedback, reviews, and behavioral data to inform product improvements and new product concepts.
Track competitive products across beverages, alcohol, functional drinks, and other beverage categories.
Translate insights into clear product opportunities in our innovation pipeline.
Formulation, Quality & Compliance
Ensure all products meet potency, safety, and quality standards through appropriate analytical testing and validated specifications.
Own shelf‑life testing, stability programs, and formulation documentation.
Partner with Compliance to ensure regulatory alignment across markets for ingredients, claims, labeling, and manufacturing practice.
Vendor & Manufacturing Management
Manage relationships with co‑manufacturers, labs, ingredient suppliers, and flavor houses.
Source and evaluate new ingredients, technologies, and partners.
Manage production runs, tech transfers, and ongoing manufacturer performance.
Ensure partners meet quality, cost, and timeline expectations.
Commercialization & Cross‑Functional Execution
Partner with Supply Chain, Sales, and Marketing to bring new products to market successfully.
Support forecasting, inventory planning, and launch readiness.
Contribute to packaging, pricing, and positioning decisions.
Ensure products are built for real‑world distribution, including DSD and retail environments.
Build the Foundation
Create repeatable R&D processes, documentation, and SOPs to guide formulation, testing, and scale‑up.
Establish formulation standards and testing protocols for sensory, analytical, and stability performance.
Help define what “best‑in‑class” beverage quality looks like at Mood —then systematically raise that bar over time through data‑driven improvements.
What You’ll Bring
5-10+ years of
hands‑on scientific beverage R&D
or product development experience (formulating products yourself, not just managing brands or programs).
Strong formulation experience (emulsions, flavor and sweetener systems, functional ingredients/actives, acidified beverages, or similar).
Direct experience taking beverage products from concept through lab/benchtop, pilot, and full commercial production.
Experience working with co‑manufacturers and scaling formulations.
Strong understanding of shelf stability, QA, and product performance.
Experience in regulated categories (THC, cannabis, alcohol, supplements, etc.) preferred.
Ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a lean, low‑infrastructure environment.
High ownership mentality with a bias toward action, experimentation, and execution.
Strong problem‑solving skills and comfort troubleshooting in real time.
Degree in Food Science, Chemistry, or related field preferred.
What’s in It for You
High ownership over a critical and fast‑growing product category.
Ability to directly shape Mood’s beverage portfolio and product quality.
Fast‑moving environment with real impact and minimal bureaucracy.
Competitive compensation and benefits.
Legal Disclaimers
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
Mood is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Mood is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please contact HR if you require assistance.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Mood is a category-defining omni-channel hemp brand offering a full product suite across DTC online and retail partners. We are scaling fast and doing it profitably. We win through a premium product experience that brings best-in-class shopping to one of the most highly regulated industries. Our mission is simple: Enable access to premium hemp products of the highest quality, conveniently.
We are still early in our journey, and the right operators can make a lasting impact.
About the Role
Location: This role has a strong preference for candidates located in New York, Charlotte, Miami, Dallas, Austin, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. Remote within the United States will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Mood is seeking a Head of Beverage R&D to own and execute the end-to-end development of our beverage portfolio.
This is a hands‑on, individual contributor role for someone who can operate across strategy and execution. You will be responsible for taking products from idea -> formulation -> testing -> commercialization, while continuously improving existing products to be best-in‑class.
You will act as the internal owner of beverage innovation, working cross-functionally while personally driving the work forward. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves quickly, and takes pride in building great products from the ground up.
What You’ll Be Doing
End-to-End Product Development (Own It Fully)
Own the full beverage R&D lifecycle from concept through commercialization.
Constantly scan the market to identify opportunities for Mood to be a market leader in new beverage concepts, then translate those into technically feasible formulations.
Develop new beverage products including scientific formulation, benchtop prototyping, and iterative optimization based on sensory and analytical data.
Run hands‑on formulation experiments yourself or in partnership with formulation houses, testing, sampling, and refinement to achieve target taste, onset, stability, and consistency.
Lead scale-up from benchtop to production with co‑manufacturers.
Improve & Optimize Existing Products
Continuously improve current formulations to enhance taste, mouthfeel, onset time, bioavailability, and shelf stability.
Identify cost optimization opportunities without compromising product quality.
Prevent production issues and ensure rigorous adherence to best‑in‑class manufacturing standards
Consumer Insights & Competitive Landscape
Analyze consumer feedback, reviews, and behavioral data to inform product improvements and new product concepts.
Track competitive products across beverages, alcohol, functional drinks, and other beverage categories.
Translate insights into clear product opportunities in our innovation pipeline.
Formulation, Quality & Compliance
Ensure all products meet potency, safety, and quality standards through appropriate analytical testing and validated specifications.
Own shelf‑life testing, stability programs, and formulation documentation.
Partner with Compliance to ensure regulatory alignment across markets for ingredients, claims, labeling, and manufacturing practice.
Vendor & Manufacturing Management
Manage relationships with co‑manufacturers, labs, ingredient suppliers, and flavor houses.
Source and evaluate new ingredients, technologies, and partners.
Manage production runs, tech transfers, and ongoing manufacturer performance.
Ensure partners meet quality, cost, and timeline expectations.
Commercialization & Cross‑Functional Execution
Partner with Supply Chain, Sales, and Marketing to bring new products to market successfully.
Support forecasting, inventory planning, and launch readiness.
Contribute to packaging, pricing, and positioning decisions.
Ensure products are built for real‑world distribution, including DSD and retail environments.
Build the Foundation
Create repeatable R&D processes, documentation, and SOPs to guide formulation, testing, and scale‑up.
Establish formulation standards and testing protocols for sensory, analytical, and stability performance.
Help define what “best‑in‑class” beverage quality looks like at Mood —then systematically raise that bar over time through data‑driven improvements.
What You’ll Bring
5-10+ years of
hands‑on scientific beverage R&D
or product development experience (formulating products yourself, not just managing brands or programs).
Strong formulation experience (emulsions, flavor and sweetener systems, functional ingredients/actives, acidified beverages, or similar).
Direct experience taking beverage products from concept through lab/benchtop, pilot, and full commercial production.
Experience working with co‑manufacturers and scaling formulations.
Strong understanding of shelf stability, QA, and product performance.
Experience in regulated categories (THC, cannabis, alcohol, supplements, etc.) preferred.
Ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a lean, low‑infrastructure environment.
High ownership mentality with a bias toward action, experimentation, and execution.
Strong problem‑solving skills and comfort troubleshooting in real time.
Degree in Food Science, Chemistry, or related field preferred.
What’s in It for You
High ownership over a critical and fast‑growing product category.
Ability to directly shape Mood’s beverage portfolio and product quality.
Fast‑moving environment with real impact and minimal bureaucracy.
Competitive compensation and benefits.
Legal Disclaimers
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
Mood is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Mood is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please contact HR if you require assistance.
#J-18808-Ljbffr